#smolnet — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #smolnet, aggregated by home.social.
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You can also do this with (the more powerful) XSLT styling.
I.e., the HTTP 'Link' response header can be a way of letting you create small-net type XHTML (as a document) without XLST — while letting you add style using XLST, and even change it (without editing the XHTML file).
Ex:
Link: <https://example.com/styles.xsl>; rel=preload; as=style, <https://example.com/styles.xsl>; rel=stylesheet
(Note, URLs above should have URL scheme.)
#html #http #smallNet #smallWeb #smolNet #smolWeb #xsl #xslt
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The HTTP 'Link' response header can be a way of letting you create small-net type HTML (as a document) without CSS — while letting you add style using CSS, and even change it (without editing the HTML file).
Ex:
Link: <https://example.com/styles.css>; rel=preload; as=style, <https://example.com/styles.css>; rel=stylesheet
(Note, URLs above should have URL scheme.)
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The Finger Protocol seems to have had an alternative unofficial TCP-port, other than TCP-port 79.
TCP-port 2003
It was used by GNU cfinger.
TCP-port 2003 would not typically require 'root' privileges — in systems that require 'root' privileges for TCP-ports less-than 1024.
#FingerProtocol #Fingerverse #FingerHole #smallNet #smallWeb #smolNet #smolWeb
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Perhaps one way a small-net browser client could enable people writing HTML to create nicer looking documents (without all the complexities of CSS) is —
By supporting the following attributes on the HTML <body> element:
<body
bgcolor="#141413"
text="#FAF9F5"
link="#FFFFFF"
vlink="#DDDDDD"
alink="#FF0000"
background="stars.png"
bgproperties="fixed"
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Perhaps a "modernized" small-net / small-web version of XUL that incorporated lessons from spreadsheets —
Would let you "draw" the UI using the box-drawing characters, like from the DOS and Terminal eras.
And then, a small-net /small-web browser / app-runner could render these natively as mobile-phone UIs and desktop-computer UIs.
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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Perhaps a "modernized" small-net / small-web version of XUL that incorporated lessons from spreadsheets —
• would provide a grid-first layout (while still allowing for other layouts)
• would support formulas/code in the same place data can go
• would support ways to allow the user to "draw" the UI#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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What else could a "modernized" small-net / small-web app format learn from?
A LOT of non-programmers create applications using spreadsheets.
What could we learn from them?
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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https://mastodon.social/@reiver/116458367287618358
Perhaps a "modernized" small-net / small-web version of XUL —
• would focus on intent
• would be declarative
• would have a simplified syntax (relative to XUL)
• would have high-level UI primitives
• would have reactive data bindings
• would aim for portability
• would be sandboxed by default
• would be adaptive by design#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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Perhaps a "modernized" small-net / small-web version of XUL —
• would focus on intent
• would be declarative
• would have a simplified syntax (relative to XUL)
• would have high-level UI primitives
• would have reactive data bindings
• would aim for portability
• would be sandboxed by default
• would be adaptive by designhttps://mastodon.social/@reiver/116458395826470481
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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We've had different application formats over the decades. There may be things we could learn from them.
For example, decades ago there was XUL.
(XUL used to power Boxee, ChatZilla, Firefox, Komodo, Miro, Netscape, Songbird, Thunderbird, etc)
If we were to create a "modernized" small-net / small-web version of XUL, how might that look like?
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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If the document formats of the small-net / small-web communities (currently) are GemText, Markdown, a sub-set of HTML, and text, then —
What might a small-net / small-web app format look like?
https://mastodon.social/@reiver/116458112950739729
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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At least as of the current date — the small-net / small-web communities have focused a lot on document formats
Which is great!
(Although I think people should try stuff that doesn't look like GemText & Markdown)
But, there hasn't been much effort to create app formats
I think a risk is, if we don't create app formats too, people will start trying to use document formats as app formats — just like what happened with HTML
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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The point of small-net / small-web isn’t about plain-looking documents — you should still be able to make them look good.
One of the goals is to separate document formats from app formats, so they aren't at odds — and through it try to eliminate the kinds of abuses seen on the Web today.
Some have chosen GemText or Markdown as that document format. Other use a subset of HTML.
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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There are good reasons why HTML became the dominant front-end format in the late 1990s.
Before that, developers had to build separate native apps for platforms like DOS, Mac OS, MS Windows, NeWS, X Windows, etc
Not only was this expensive, it was tiring.
As the internet spread, HTML became the ubiquitous front-end format, eliminating the need for multiple versions
But, this put these 2 use-cases (doc vs app) at odds
#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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HTML used to (mostly) be a format for reading and writing documents.
As time went on, it got changed to an application format.
These 2 use-cases (doc vs app) are at odds.
One of the motivations in the small-net / small-web space is to take HTML back to its document format roots. Although some have have chosen to use alternative document formats such as Gemini's GemText and Markdown.
@talon
RE: https://dragonscave.space/@talon/116456716105999739#GeminiProtocol #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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An example of viewing an image file using my small-net browser client named: SpaceMonkey.
It is made for GNOME. And, runs on both a Linux based mobile phone and the desktop.
It can view image files using any protocol SpaceMonkey supports: Gemini, HTTP, HTTPS, Mercury, etc.
#GeminiProtocol #GNOME #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb #SpaceMonkey
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An example of viewing a GemText page over the Gemini Protocol using my small-net browser client named: SpaceMonkey.
It is made for GNOME. And, runs on both a Linux based mobile phone and the desktop.
#GeminiProtocol #GNOME #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb #SpaceMonkey
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An example of the viewing a GemText page over the Mercury Protocol using my small-net browser client named: SpaceMonkey.
It is made for GNOME. And, runs on both a Linux based mobile phone and the desktop.
#GeminiProtocol #GNOME #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb #SpaceMonkey
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I spent the day (off and on) working on updating my Mercury Protocol implemention, in the Go programming-language (golang)
(The Mercury Protocol is the Gemini Protocol without the TLS.)
I wrote it back in 2021. The Go programming-language has changed since then. I updated it accordingly, and did a number of to-do items I planned to do but never got around to.
#GeminiProtocol #golang #MercuryProtocol #SmallNet #SmallWeb #SmolNet #SmolWeb
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I like the Gemini Protocol, but — I think too many of the other small-net protocols try to mimic Gemini.
One alternative path that small-net & small-web communities could try is —
Make a new version of the HTTP protocol.
One that includes small-net values.
A small-net HTTP (HTTP/1.4 ?) server could be backwards compatible, such that extant web-browsers could see something (even if the experience is better in a small-net web-browser).
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I think some of the hopes for Small-Net & Small-Web from its fans, enthusiasts, and advocates is —
• the return of individuals creating and publishing niche narrowly focused sites,
• removing the modern Gate-Keepers.
These obviously aren't the only desires from those in the Small-Net & Small-Web scene and social-movement, but — I think these 2 are interesting because they are related to the origin of the World-Wide-Web.
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The Web wasn't the start of the social-movement to get rid of these (historical) Gate-Keepers.
(The social-movement goes back to at least BBS and other similar networks — i.e., what, for regular people, was before the Internet.)
But the Web did have a big impact on removing these Gate-Keepers. A BIG one!
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5/
Prior to the Web, if you wanted to publish something you created and reach a mass audience or a community — most of the time you would have to go through the TV industry, the film industry, the radio industry, or the newspaper industry.
These were the Gate-Keepers of the time.
In practice, only those with wealth or power were able to get permission from these Gate-Keepers.
For most of the people in the world — this wasn't an option
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